Audit Commission Chief urges £50 bn budget cuts

CEO Steve Bundred of the government spending watchdog, the Audit Commission says that party leaders are not being honest with the public on the need for cuts in all government departments.

He warns that “nothing should be off limits” and that there should be a freeze on public sector pay in order to help to reduce the national debt by £50 billion, which would return us to 2003-4 spending levels.

Just as economists are predicting a “W” or double-bottom in this deep recession, McMental supposed out loud that the economy was about to recover. But then he also thought it was a good idea to sell our gold at the bottom of the market – and warn the markets in advance of how much he was going to sell and when he was going to sell it! Prize twat.

“The idea that you have to have some equity of misery, that because the private sector is suffering the public sector must too, is disgraceful. What it is doing is not understanding the role of public services in a recession – to sustain and rebuild the economy.”

No, dear. It is the private sector that sustains and builds the economy that pays for the public sector. Without the private sector, there would be no economy.

The Guardian reports:

“Last night a Downing Street spokesman said that it was right to find savings but added: “We have identified £35bn of efficiency savings in this spending review period. By finding these savings we can provide more resources for key public services, such as health and education.”

Didn’t Brown and Darling say they weren’t planning to have a spending review? Yet another U-turn! That’s at least a dozen this week – I’ve lost count!